Custom Role of Virgil Essay

Virgil is perceived as having played a significant role as a key character in both “Inferno” and “Purgatorio”. He is depicted as a wise man given the fact that he makes it his duty to guide a hero or heroine throughout their respective journeys. Thus, he is a supportive human being who does not take it lightly whenever closest beings suffer.

Notably, in the course of the numerous trips emphasized in the texts, Virgil is depicted as having a kind heart which ensured that heroines found their treasures. Moreover, in “Inferno”, Virgil comes out as a leader who leads Dante to his accomplishments. He plays the character of a trustworthy and informed man to Dante. For instance, in Inferno, Virgil advances towards Dante in the Dark wood as St. Lucy together with Virgin Mary seek for his capabilities in love so that they can both gain courage to face evilness.

In “Inferno”, Virgil is perceived to be concerned with providing sound-decisions to Dante. Even though he does so without any form of compassion, still he is able to encourage Dante whenever he gets lost or whenever he is turned aback by the demons. For example in canto 23, Virgil is able to rescue Dante from the demons and thus, contributes extensively to his (Dante’s) achievements. "Dante did not invent the prodigality of his Statius. It was an attribute of the rhetorician [of the same name] from Toulouse whom he mistook for the poet" (Whitfield 1995).

In “Inferno”, Virgil is also perceived as having intense levels of pride. He rebukes and tarnishes Dante’s manner of sympathy to sinners. This is because he wants Dante’s heart hardened against the relatively impeccable sinners.

Virgil is also perceived as a supportive guide to Dante. Within this context, Virgil has lessened in terms of pride so that his guiding abilities are not as tough, in nature, as it were in Inferno. He is compassionate about the manner in which he conducts himself towards Dante. For instance, he guides Dante successfully through the “seven terraces of Purgatory” which are symbolic to fatal forms of sins (Whitfield, 1995). In “Purgatorio”, the Phrase; “Hurry, Dante, Hurry Up!” have been used interchangeable to portray his manner of alerting colleagues in times of trouble.

In “Purgatorio”, Virgil plays the role of a philosopher in the sense that he makes relevant contributions pertaining to the subject matter of love. In Canto XVII, he is able to expound on the rationale behind relationships formed between the “seven terraces of Purgatory” and the principle of ill-measured forms of love. In his explanation, Virgil connects elements of “Hell” which are contributing facets to perverted love; a common attribute to most, if not all, of the “sinners”.

In “Purgatorio”, Virgil contributes to element of irony, he is perceived as having lessened his stand on paganism. Unlike in “Inferno”, in Purgatorio Virgil assumes the role of a foreseer and a strong advocate against the forces of evil which are aimed at destroying Dante. He affirms to the fact that God’s love is natural and is strong enough to account and embrace for the sense of free will. According to Virgil; “the gods and three fates often seem to control everything” (Whitfield 1995). Advanced form of irony comes out when he tries to understand the manner in which God could turn out to be so merciful in order to allow for mortal human beings to continue with disobeying Him without fear. This manner of thinking is based on the selfless form of compassion in the sense that Virgil treats the scenario with caution: “what reason can see here, I can impart; past that, for truth of faith, its Beatrice alone you must await” ” (Whitfield 1995).